In the Gray
by LilyWhite13
Summary: A.U. Every day they lived behind masks, hiding their true faces. They thought that it was the only way to survive. But can a quirky club where everyone masquerades as another save them?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Detective Conan/Case Closed. If I did, the manga would've ended already.

Author's Note: Recently, one of my friends mentioned that some people might not know the Japanese names for the characters, so if you don't know who I'm talking about, I've got the English names for the characters that have already appeared in my story on my profile.

* * *

_A young boy sits on a sofa, a heavy book opened up beside him. He pretends to read, but he sneaks glances out of an enormous window. It's past bedtime, but today, he'll ignore the clock. His report card came home today and he can't wait to show his parents. When will they ever come home…?_

_Outside, a shiny sports car swerved dangerously into a garage. The boy grins. His parents are finally back!_

_The boy runs to the door, as his babysitter fussed over a spilled pot plant. The babysitter chases after him down the stairs, into the entrance hall, and to the front door._

_But the doorknob never turned. With a crack like thunder, the edges of the door glowed. An arm found its way around the boy just as the door blew in, flying out of the door frame._

_The boy closed his eyes in fear, as a noise like a movie-styled explosion surrounded him. In sheer panic, he squirmed, only to find himself being pushed to the ground. He screamed and shouted, but he couldn't hear himself in the pandemonium._

_Then, as if nothing had happened, it stopped. Sweet silence rang in the young boy's ears. He was trying to wiggle his way away from whatever pinned him down, when an unexpected warm liquid fell down on his face._

_He looked up – and soon his eyes were thrown wide with shock._

* * *

Pain seared a high schooler's ribs as he was elbowed on a busy bus. He blinked, realizing that he was, again, dreaming of that day. If only it were just a nightmare.

The student gingerly fingered his side and winced.

Yesterday, his cousin had hit him there again in one of their numerous fights. Well, he would have to buck up and deal with it.

Even if the was the modern-day Holmes, what chance would he have against a super-idol with legions of crazy fans? It didn't help that he didn't have any proof. Any time that he got some, it was quickly stolen, to presumably be destroyed. The high school detective sighed and got off the bus. He pasted on a fake smile and calmly walked towards school, bracing himself for the inevitable.

For the first few seconds, all was calm. Then, someone noticed him. Sided up to him with a grotesque imitation of a smile

And then another came, then many, until a crowd had gathered, made up mostly of squealing fan-girls or 'yes-people' eager for the advantages of his friendship.

How ironic, detective Kudo Shinichi thought, that so many will readily be my friend and yet I have nobody to turn to.

A part of him wanted to yell out what he thought of the fakes, but the rational part of his mind know that it was for the better – after all, cousin wouldn't risk so many witnesses.

Sighing again, he continued on to school. If only things would change. If only he could talk to someone frankly.

Little did he know what would happen later that day.


	2. Chapter 2

Elsewhere in the school, another teen was also desperately wishing for her voice to be heard.

Shinichi had it hard with his cousin. But Mouri Ran's problem was with the entire school. And there was nothing to prove.

There was no name-calling, no harassment, no beatings. The entire school simply snubbed her, ignored her and generally avoided her as much as they could.

Ran quietly sat down in her seat, opening up her textbooks on the spotless desk in front of her. As usual, nobody had talked to her. She knew that by now, she should give up hope, but then again, everyone deserves a second chance, right?

An old photograph fluttered down, bringing the memory of her first karate competition back to her mind. Picking it up, Ran remembered the days before the silence.

_She had been seven when she started karate. It was fun!_

_By training hard every chance she got, little Ran improved very quickly. Soon, she could defeat opponents twice her size. She was top of her rank in the county…!_

_At school though, because she often did Herculean feats of strength, her reputation soured into that of a monster. It didn't help that she beat all the strongest boys, even when they fought five-to-one._

_At first, it was only a few of her classmates that were silent, but pretty soon, the whole school, from the first-graders, to her seniors were avoiding her. Even when she transferred schools, she could not outrun the rumours._

_Behind her back, she was always the 'Karate Beast'._

_The only place where she was ever accepted was in karate school and at her tournaments. Because of this, she was constantly practising to improve her skills, something that efficiently served its purpose of sharpening her karate, but did nothing to fix her reputation._

Had anyone actually talked to her, they would've found a sweet girl, kind and admirable. But it didn't happen. The rumors were far too twisted by now.

Ran put the photo back into its holder and demurely bowed her head. The teacher was taking attendance. With a small smile of reminiscence, she took out a notebook and got ready to take notes. Maybe everyone would see that she wasn't such an ogre when she got into the top twenty students of her school. After all, who's ever heard of an intellectual beast?

After class, Ran felt a bit worn out. Math had been hard. But then again, it always had been.

She took out the next subject's textbooks, slowly revising her homework. It was almost ironic that the so-called 'Karate Beast' had such a strict routine.

It was always enjoyable subjects in the morning, a lunch break, and then the tough nuts for afternoon. Weekends were spent on study, karate and community service. Ran could see nothing different about today.

* * *

But halfway through corrections, while she was quietly working, a small business card appeared in her notes.

It was neatly printed, in an almost too-light-to-read handwriting and a strangely hope-filled message, reading:

"You're invited to join the Mask Club. Club meets are on any day you want and at any given moment. Please come with a mask on."

Somehow Ran was elated at the prospect of the Mask Club. Perhaps if the other members didn't know who she was, they would talk to her. She was also rather nervous about the business card. What if the Mask Club members also grew to fear her strength…?

Across the school, four others read the same message. And like Ran, they had mixed feelings about the Mask Club.


	3. Chapter 3

Updated! I decided to add in a bit of fluff, so there's a emotional bit in the end.

* * *

Shinichi stared at the business card in his palm. What a mystery. For some reason, it appeared in his copy of _The Hound of Baskerville_ earlier. But the idea of the Mask Club, where all members concealed their identities, was tantalizing.

And for once, it wasn't a prank from his cousin. Shinichi had never shown any interest in masks before.

It would be much more efficient to lure him with a Sherlock Holmes Fan Club or a Mystery-Solvers' Club. Shinichi's cousin never bothered to do anything that was creative when the obvious was easier. Like with the Mystery Club's Vice-President for example. Chocolates are really obvious and clichéd.

So Shinichi decided to ask the school secretary for information.

After a long discussion on her cheating boyfriend, he found out that the Mask Club met in room 169 and that the supervising teacher was one Abe Midori.

Honestly, how long does it take someone to say that they're upset? It would only take a simple, "I'm upset about my cheating boyfriend."

Still, Shinichi kept an excited mood. For the first time in his life, he could be himself. He could have real friends.

He decided to go to his favourite shop, a small bookstore/café called _Poirot_. It always had the latest great mystery books, as well as the best dark coffee in town.

Even better, _Poirot_ was completely cousin-free!

As he scurried off to said shop, Shinichi remarked another odd thing about that business card: the colours. Not black on white, but white on black. Did that have any significance...?

But for a certain dark-skinned detective, it was white itself that held so much meaning.

* * *

White was such a strange colour. For various reasons, it somehow held meaning. In European cultures, white meant purity and peace, yet white lilies signified death. In Asia, white was the colour of death and sorrow.

White was also the colour of the hospital walls that witnessed the breaking-down of the great high-school detective Hattori Heiji, as he stood guard over his childhood friend.

To any casual observer, it would look as if the _aho _was simply sleeping, in a pleasant afternoon nap. And as if she'd be waking up at any moment.

Heiji knew the _aho _wasn't going to get up anytime soon. It wasn't an issue of a nap, but of a coma. A coma that was completely his fault.

_It had been a cool March, on the 14th. Two years ago. There was a murder case and the hack officers were too lazy to bother doing much, so he and Kazuha had tagged along. Or rather, he decided to help and Kazuha followed, protesting about some sort of girl thing._

_"Heiji, I'm not sure dat's such a good idea. Maybe you should take a break. After all-"_

_He had pushed that matter aside, to her loud protests._

_"Don't worry so much, a~ho."_

_"Eh? Who are ya calling an aho, you aho! Well fine! See if I care."_

_Whatever it was, it would wait until the case was over. Whatever it was, it couldn't be too much more important than a murder, right?_

_The case had been nothing special. Honestly, how could those imbeciles call themselves policemen? All they had to do was analyse a few bits of fingerprint evidence!_

_But even if the deduction was smooth, what came afterwards was absolute pandemonium._

_The criminal escaped, knocking out two experience officers in his desperation. In the confusion, Kazuha tumbled down a nearby cliff...!_

_Heiji could still see that look of sheer terror as she fell through thin air..._

_...and into the crashing waves below, as they fought and dragged one another to the deep._

_The doctor had said that she was luck to survive. Still, Heiji would've given anything to take her place in that hospital room, stuck in a cursed sleep._

_And even though everyone told him that it was simply a tragic accident, Heiji thought of it was his fault. It was all because of him._

_For going to such a stupid case. For not stopping Kazuha from coming. For being so over-confident that it would be a piece of cake. For not listening to the aho and for ignoring what she was going to say, for not caring._

_And most of all, for not realizing the date._

White Day.

_She was wondering if he'd forgotten. _

Being in a coma, she could never know that Heiji still had the flowers he was planning to give her.

_Gardenia, for his secret love._

At the moment, Heiji complained to Kazuha about his narrow escape from a throng of obsessive fans. As if she could hear him.

Today, as he replaced the bedside flowers and told the _aho _about what was going on, he was fingering a certain business card, white print, black cardstock. An invitation to a mysterious Mask Club. Room 169 the secretary said, after a shouting match. Who cared about her boyfriend, anyways?

"Crazy people," he muttered, "They know me like family from all their stalking and honestly, don't they have anything better to do? Couldn't they just treat me like any other person for once? It's weird, but this sort of life seems so fake. I prefer normality."

Sadly saying goodbye to his secret love, he gently brushed Kazuha's bangs out of her sweet face, and gently left, grieving at old memories. Of when she was with him, as a true friend, his only connection to any sanity.

Tears wetted the snowy room, which would never melt away like actual frost. Never melt away from reality as a dream.

As he shuffled out of the hospital, his phone rang for a text message.

With a black background and snowy print, it was a memo for the Mask Club.

"Requesting you for first club meeting. Masks are to be found in the drama room."

* * *

Note: _aho _means idiot for anyone that doesn't know. I just use it since I find it cuter than _idiot_ or _moron_.


	4. Chapter 4

If there was anything worth mentioning about Teitan High, it was probably the endless secrets contained in its discreet beige walls and unmentionable floors, typical to any school.

Room 169 among them.

Crammed between the notorious Drama Club and the infamous Manga Club, it's existence was simply ignored. Nobody except devoted club members ever came here, to where the school's two most exclusive, otaku-dominated clubs coexisted. Anyone who had to come quickly fled in shame. Before lessons had even begun, first-years learned to avoid the area.

Even the teachers rarely came nowadays.

So of course, nobody really bothered about the apparently unused room 169. Competing for space with wall-length, flashy posters it was jammed right out of sight. Nobody came to make strange assumptions, anyway.

That might have been the reason it Shinichi scoured every floor for it before finding it. He had assumed that it was where most of the Clubs' rooms were, on the second floor of the new building.

Outside, it gave resembled a small janitor's closet. But inside was another story.

Shinichi had been ready for anything. A dark room full of smiling masks, a bright mask mini-museum or a mask-making workshop, even a formal parlour-type room. All contained in a tiny room, of course.

Inside, it was _enormous_. About 25 meters squared. The room's atmosphere was odd, too. Instead of the usual care-free or serious club rooms, there was a sort of stilled feel to this place, as if time was held back.

Sure, there was an enormous clock right by the door, but the rest of the room was so timeless. Modern bookshelves, a small sitting area of geometrical, backless seats, tall bamboo, modern lights and a big minimalist table with stylishly cushion-less chairs. A huge fish tank and a white board somehow blended in.

Looking farther in, Shinichi's heart nearly stopped.

Sitting at the table was a red-stained figure. In its arms was a bloody chainsaw, its face shrouded by a terror-striking hockey mask, eyes glowing...!

* * *

Until, of course, somebody pulled open curtains on the room's skylights, revealing that the hockey mask freak was really a pale teenage girl with tea-coloured hair. The bloody effect came from her attempts at cutting open paint cans. With a chainsaw.

Just great, bested by a girl, thought Shinichi, as another girl, with long dark hair appeared giggling, form behind him. When she spoke, her voice held a gentle, cheerful, lilt.

"Hello, welcome to the Mask Club. Our sponsoring teacher should come in any moment now," she announced, indicating a note on the table.

She smiled in her Sailor V mask. To Shinichi, both smile and laugh sounded odd, as if they hadn't been used in a long, long, time.

Shinichi could almost predict Abe-sensei's note. This time, the paper was a laughing/crying drama masks stationary. .

"Welcome members of the Mask Club. First, a few explanations. This club is not only dedicated to masks, as the name suggests. It's also our duty to help people solve problems, in disguise. If anyone hears of a challenge, they can announce it to the other club members. It's up to you guys whether you'll help. The meeting times are also your own decisions. You should try to give yourselves nicknames of some sort. I'll be coming by later today to propose a challenge.

From: Abe-sensei"

Shinichi sighed. Abe-sensei would be coming, but when? He wanted to get to _Poirot_ for the latest mystery novels.

He settled for making deductions about his fellow club members. Starting with Sailor V girl.

Healthy as an ox, strong shoulders and a gym bag. A blue gym bag with karate fighters on it, not very big at all. The standard bag given to all Karate Club members.

"You're in the Karate Club, aren't you?" Shinichi deduced, confident.

Almost instantly, he regretted his words. Sailor V girl completely changed, from cheerfully idiotic to hostility withdrawn.

"So what if I do? It's absolutely none of your business."

For some strange reason, Shinichi felt an inexplicable urge to counter.

"No need to get all worked up~. I'm just stating a _simple_ deduction. If you don't like it, you could always stop carrying around your sports bag. Or, you could quit your club. What an idiot~."

In his head, it already sounded childish. Why did he still say it aloud? Was he really that much like his cousin, that two-faced lying demon?!

Understandably, that problem was soon forgotten as a well-trained kick flew at his head...

...missing him by mere millimetres and rearranging several chairs from just being near its force.

Shinichi was very, very scared of Sailor V girl's karate skills. That kick had been a little too close for comfort. It was odd. She seemed like a perfectly normal, kind, girl.

It was also uncomfortable for the assailant.

* * *

Mouri Ran, the "Sailor V girl" was in a state of panic.

She had just used her karate. On a fellow club member. That was a major no-no. Was he okay? Would she never be anything other than a 'Karate Beast'?

To her credit, it was partly his fault as well. Prancing in, mentioning karate, then brushing it off? Could he have recognised her?

Apparently, he was just an imbecile detective. Honestly, what was with him, that idiot detective, coming in wearing a Frankenstein mask? Was he trying to creep her out? Taunt her with her fear of the supernatural?

What a jerk.

But there was something else about that guy. Something beneath that taunting exterior. A bit of loneliness. Something fiery with rage, but also a grieving flood.

"Eh-hem." At the table, the other girl with the hockey mask cleared her throat loudly.

"Are you two just going to stare into each others' eyes all day, or will somebody notice that Abe-sensei has finally arrived?"

"Eh-?" Exclaimed both Ran and the detective guy at the same time. For no reason at all, this guy seriously annoyed her.

"Hey, don't copy me, idiot!"

"It's not my fault, you jerk!"

"Now, now," interrupted a resonant voice, "Don't forget that we're here too, love-birds."

Turning to the door, Ran saw a woman in a suit. Not a lady's skirt-suit, but an honest-to-goodness man's suit. With a briefcase.

Beside her was a boy with a traditional dog mask wrapped up in a scarf, gloves and long socks, not a patch of his skin showing.

There was also a girl with caramel hair, wearing the summer uniform with a cute pink jacket and high heels. She wore a lovely gold masquerade mask.

A most unconventional trio.

Secretly, Ran felt a bit more normal, even with her superhuman powers.

Unfortunately, not everyone shared in her reassurance. Being the most _suspicious_ person in the room is not exactly the most _comforting_ thing in the world.

* * *

Very sorry for late update! My sincerest apologies!


	5. Chapter 5

Somehow, everybody singled out Kudo Shinichi as the person to stare at. Apparently, wearing a cheesy monster mask immediately made one more suspicious than many more intriguing characteristics (i.e. a hockey mask and a chainsaw). For a few minutes, the other members of the Mask Club just gawked at Shinichi.

"Well, you seem rather popular," remarked Abe-sensei cheerfully and Shinichi dead panned. Was this club really okay?

Abe-sensei herself smiled and continued, "We'll start this meeting off with names. Everybody, pick an alias."

The over-dressed boy in the dog mask replied first. His voice was thick with some strong emotion, carrying the slightest trace of an accent, "I'll be Toyama, then."

An actual Japanese surname, Shinichi mused. Where could that have come from?

Hockey mask and red paint girl came next, with a monotone. "Sherry."

It was an alcohol, now? How singular. Shinichi recalled that sherry was Spanish wine, did it have any significance?

After that was the caramel haired girl, with pride in her voice. "Call me Sakura."

The cherry blossom, meaning kind and gentle. Somehow, 'Sakura' failed to give such an impression. Anyway, he needed to decide a good name.

It would be simple, he decided, so I can remember to use it. What about something to do with my interests? Wait a minute, what about _that_? It was an old nickname, after all. Who had given it to him, so many years ago? Plus, _that_ connected to his idol, the miraculous Sherlock Holmes!

"It'll be Conan," he announced, as if to claim the name his own.

"Um, please call me R," Sailor V girl said at the same time, resulting in a battle of glares between her and Shinichi. Her voice had a sweet lilt to it. But she was an absolute idiot! Definitely an idiot!

But 'R' as a name? This was totally unexpected. How did she come up with that, Shinichi wondered, a single letter?

Apparently, he wasn't the only one to think so.

"Oi, Toyama, Conan, don't go crazy pulling deductions, we want to all remain anonymous," Abe-sensei lectured, her tone mock serious. "Instead, could everyone please help solve the club's first problem? I hear it's a real enigma. Plus, 1412's involved."

'_Plus, 1412's involved_.' In an instant, Shinichi's attention riveted to the case before him. If international thief 1412 played a part, this was surely no ordinary puzzle.

Toyama-san was also interested. He was positively bug-eyed. "WHAT?! You're saying dat 1412's involved?

"What's 1412?" R asked, clearly confused. Yep, she was most definitely an idiot. It was a miracle in itself that she could not know the name of the enigmatic phantom thief, whose name constantly haunted the news anytime there was even the slightest mention of gems.

Before Shinichi could comment, Sakura-san over-enthusiastically answered her query, almost squealing. "International thief 1412, Kaitou KID, is the miraculous gentleman thief. Just back from an eight-year hiatus, he's enigmatic magician/phantom thief that takes the most spectacular gems, only to later return them. It's KID-sama's policy to make sure that no one gets hurt during his heists."

"I wonder what could've happened," R remarked aloud, concerned.

"Worry no more! This will be a piece of cake for the great me-sama!" Sakura-san boasted. Definitely not gentle, as her pseudonym suggested.

Sherry interrupted with a bout of sarcastic laughter. "Sure, sure" she commented, "you'll definitely solve it all."

Abe-sensei sagely decided to interrupt the exchange. "If anyone would like to help, please meet me Saturday, 9:30 a.m. at _Poirot_, 2197 Beika 5th block."

Behind the mask, Shinichi's eyes widened slightly when she mentioned his paradise.

He wasn't the only one surprised.

* * *

Behind her mask Mouri Ran's expression was one of pure shock.

_Poirot_, that was the shop beneath her dad's detective agency and her home.

Why so close to home...?

Ran pondered upon that question for the rest of the week, a plan slowly forming in her mind.

Since it was likely that someone would spot her go into the shop from her home, Ran would simply go before anyone else, map in hand. That way, nobody would know that she was very, very, familiar with the area. Ran wondered what excuses she could make for being early...

...oof! Ran had run right into somebody's back. Gasps of outrage rang around her.

Before Ran had realized what was going on, several girls were on to her, malicious intent in every syllable.

"How dare you! You're not even that pretty!"

"Who do you think you are? Some sort of princess?"

"Go to Hell, you little scheming diva!"

Slowly, Ran looked around, figuring out what exactly had happened.

In front of her was a menacing, angry group of girls whose names Ran sadly did not know. Behind then, a boy was reading a heavy volume, oblivious to what was going on. It was that famous high school detective, Kudo...um...Kudo Shinigami? He was a year younger than Ran and reportedly, not a week went by without some sort of murder happening around him. By the look on the girls' faces, she had just bumped into him.

The peeved girls' continued to rant, not yet realizing what the bystander had already seen - that she was Mouri Ran, the Karate Beast. The crowds disapeared in record time, some students peeking out from the end of the hallway, contemplation whether or not to get a teacher, until...

...suddenly, the seemingly inattentive Kudo-kohai himself turned around, an expatriated expression on his face.

"Excuse me, but could you please leave Mouri-san alone? You're making quite a scene," he said politely. How did he know her name?

The girls rapidly dispersed, pouting and complaining in loud tones.

Then he turned to Ran with a nod of acknowledgement. "As president of the Mystery Club, I must apologize for the behavior of my club sempais."

"Y-you don't have t-to. It's okay," she replied, a bit surprised.

As he strolled away, towards the library, he turned back and said, "Oh yes, a piece of advice. Jodie-sensei's going to give your class a pop quiz tomorrow."

What a strange incident, Ran thought, as she scampered down the hall and out of school. She decided to put that incident out of her mind.

And so, on Saturday, she put her plan in action leaving a note for her father. After an all-night-long mahjong tournament and a "few" drinks, Ran suspected that it would be well past noon when her woke up. And leaving now would get her less over-protective complaints. Honestly, she was in high school already!

But she would soon discover that she had not been the first one to arrive.

* * *

Already inside the shop was a boy with a charming princely mask on. She recognized the hairstyle from yesterday and knew that any charm he had ended at his looks.

It was that jerk, Conan.

Ran sincerely hoped that he was getting enough sleep. More rest could cure that cantankerous attitude.

Thank goodness he was too absorbed in his book to notice her entrance.

Ran headed over to the opposite side of the shop, to the new releases. There was still hours to go from 7:26 to 9:30.

* * *

Slowly, the other members of the mask club gathered, one by one.

At 8:58 exactly, right after the morning rush, a girl with hair like tea strolled in to Poirot, wearing a conspicuous welding mask and a lab coat. Ran recognized her as Sherry. Without any hesitation, she paced through the shop and dove into a rack of fashion magazines.

The next entrance was quite ordinary. Some 23 minutes before meeting time, a girl in a tube top, a miniskirt and a fashionable leather jacket entered the shop, wearing another lovely masquerade mask. Grumbling about beauty sleep, this was Sakura. She called a waiter and ordered, "One orange marmalade, please, small."

Finally, Toyama-kun practically leaped into the shop, overdressed with a scarf, a pair of gloves and tall boots, wearing the same dog mask as last time and attraction even more attention as Conan (which by now was quite a feat). Ran probably wouldn't have recognized him without that mask and unseasonal fashion sense. He looked as if he had just run a summer marathon in industrial-grade insulation.

Ran wondered how Abe-sensei planned to get them together. The secretary said that their club's sponsoring teacher was great at disguises, Ran tried to imagine Abe-sensei's face, but it was so hard to picture...!

A waitress came and gently tapped Ran on the shoulder, rousing her from her thoughts. Queued near her was the rest of the Mask Club, drawing many curious glances. The waitress ignored all this and, garnering even more wonder, led them past the counter and into the back.

"Please wait a moment," she said, before transforming into a completely different person.

By pulling her hair into a tight up-do, she gained a professional appearance. With a dab of sombre red lipstick, she seemed to mature by five years. Under the disguise was a very forgettable face Ran struggled to recall.

* * *

Yes, this chapter is seriously late. I promise the next one will come much faster!  


Can anyone figure out who Sherry, Toyama and Sakura are? Please send me your guesses! A big round of applause to anyone who gets them right.


	6. Chapter 6

"It's the sensei!" exclaimed Toyama-kun, almost saying "the" as "de". He voiced her thoughts exactly.

It was Abe-sensei, Mask Club sponsor, in another decidedly masculine outfit.

Her astonishment must have shown on her face because painted on Conan's face was a twisted smirk. As sharp as he might have been, who gave that obnoxious jerk the right to such a superior attitude, anyway?

Somehow, he reminded her of Kudo-kohai whenever he appeared in her thoughts. It was really strange, when he was near, she dreaded his presence, but when he was gone, she somehow wondered about him. Wished for him to appear.

At the moment, Ran found it very hard to believe that she could have thought about him in any less-than-negative way. Or that she could actually miss him for that matter.

"Hurry up, lovebirds, you two can stare into each others' eyes all you want on the car ride," monotoned Sherry, fashion magazine in hand.

"We're not a couple!"

"Hey, don't copy me idiot!"

"I'm not, you jerk!"

"Come along then, Tommy and Tuppence," Sherry said, sighing.

Not the least for any reason Ran or anyone else could've guessed.

* * *

Miyano Shiho, known to the Mask Club as "Sherry", sighed at R and Conan's tactics.

She could remember the days when love matters were all she had to worry about.

* * *

_Her parents had been scientists, famous researchers working in a big lab. Shiho always had such fun learning about science. She was going to grow up and be an amazing pioneer, just like her parents._

_Together, along with her big sister, Akemi, they lived in a house near the lab. It wasn't a mansion or a princess palace, but they lived comfortably._

_Then, in a flash of lightning, life changed._

_The government decided that her parents' research would be too controversial and declared it immortal and her parents mad. No longer could they find work in any lab or institution, reputable or otherwise. Nobody mentioned that they had assigned her family to that same "inhuman" branch in the first place._

_Her parents turned to making drugs to sponsor their lives and research._

_Shiho's big sister changed, too._

_At first, Shiho could not understand why Akemi was acting so strange. But one look into her closet and the pieces flew together into a grisly image._

_Inside her closet was bottle upon bottle of alcohol, both empty and full. A terrible sort of alcoholic's nest had grown inside their home._

_At first, it had only been the occasional cup of Sherry. But after the love of her life had left for foreign study, after she had sent him away with a sober smile, her habit worsened, her boyfriend ignorant. She soon turned for the worst, from "soft" wines to "hard" liqueur._

_It was only when she landed in the E.R. that her boyfriend knew and rushed to Japan. Finally, after so many tears, Shiho and Akemi were removed from the house of horrors, to lead better lives with relatives._

_Even in peace, Shiho's memories would never fade. The faces and voices of addicts, some even younger than she was, clawing, begging, would never leave her mind, dogging her every thought._

_["Please, I'll m-make it up somehow."] ["Please, have mercy, I'll do anything!"] ["Please, I'm begging you, I need it...please."] ["Please, out of any kindness in your hearts...!"]_

_["I need it, please, I'll pay next time."] ["I need it, please, please, you know I'll pay you next time, please!"] ["I need it, god forgive us all, please, mercy for god's sake...!"]_

_["Give it up, you s-sadists."] ["Give it up, any price you want, I'll come up with the money somehow!"] ["Give it up, I'll get you anything you want. I can get you anything...!"]_

_Every day, she shut herself into an isolated research, overworking both body and soul in exchange for the hope of dreamless sleep._

_After her sister, nobody would let her even touch a sleeping pill._

_Like that, the summers died and years passed, the days flying by. Shiho became the prodigy chemist, winning many awards, but a loner without companions. So when she was finally ready to make friends and trust again, no one was there for her._

Nobody could see beyond her golden halo and view the girl beneath.

_Her sister had long since married her boyfriend and moved to America, a long-distance phone call or a transpacific flight away. It felt too much like running away to join them._

Shiho wanted to face her own problems, for once.

But she wasn't brave, she couldn't do it alone.

That's where the Mask Club cam in. It promised so much of what she wanted, no strings attached. Although Abe-sensei as a person was a rather shady character, Shiho know that the other members could be trustworthy.

She styled herself "Sherry", after the drink that had ruined her sister, but things were different now.

Somehow, being int the club made her feel more . . . childish. A bit more carefree, over-dramatic, like any other high-schooler. Somehow, the name took on a completely different meaning.

* * *

"Hey, hey Sherry, don't you think that R and Conan make the perfect couple?" asked Sakura, interrupting her musings. She was the perfect example of why youth was spoiled on the young.

Oh well, Shiho herself was probably another.

Shiho was content not to reply, instead, watching the said couple bicker. How strangely cute, she thought, a rusty and unused smile forming behind her stiff metal mask before she dropped in shock. What had ever possessed her to smile?

Her thoughts would be answered by a unanimous denial of love, declared by both Conan and R.

"We're not a couple!"

"Hey, don't copy me idiot princess!"

"I'm not, you jerk-of-a-prince!"

How curious. A pearl of laughter was slipping out of her mouth, followed by another, then another, turning into a sweet shower of chuckles.

"You two make the perfect couple."

* * *

For clarification's sake, Tommy and Tuppence are a detective couple created by Agatha Christie. I really couldn't think of a better comparison and I didn't want to use Romeo and Juliette (clichéd).

Now that everyone knows who Sherry is, I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the guessing. To be honest, I'm mildly freaked out at how accurate everyone was.


	7. Chapter 7

Apologies for the super-late chapter, I was struck with serious writer's block!

By the way, _italics _are for flashbacks, in case anyone was confused.

* * *

In exactly 7 hours, 27 minutes and 33.906 seconds, they arrived at their destination. After several epic games of Clue (in which Toyama-san and Conan-san both solved the crime before any questions were asked), many equally pointless games of Goldfish (which were all won by the detectives) and a few (thankfully ordinary) games of chess, they were finally there.

Maybe because of what Abe-sensei said, the Mask Club was expecting some high-security mansion, an amazing museum, a collector's fortress. Anything but the rundown traditional-styled mansion that they arrived at.

Perhaps a century ago, it would've been an impressive sight, but now, worn down by all of nature's forces, it looked like a ghosts' palace. It was deep in the countryside, a place that would be nearly impossible to pass by under any circumstances other than being lost.

Deep in unspoiled countryside the only traces of any modern civilization were several planters of snowy chrysanthemums, sheer black curtains in the house...

...and a fleet of police cars. So they were here already? Looks like there was some trouble already.

"Oh goodness, not that idiotic KID force again!" groaned Conan-san, wincing slightly.

Toyama-san nodded unhappily in agreement, sighing as a tall, square-jawed man in uniform stomped towards them. It was rather like watching a human Gomera of sorts.

"Oi! Who are all you people in the masks?!" he demanded with a violent gesture forwards.

"So which one of you is KID?!"

"I know I'm not," declared Shiho, dodging a hand coming her way. What was up with him, asking aloud who was 1412? Did he seriously expect the thief to simply raise his hand and admit his identity?

"You should really state your own name first, officer."

"I'm Nakamouri Ginzo-keibu of the KID Force!" he replied. Sherry wondered if he ever spoke without putting in an exclamation mark at the end of every single sentence. Or maybe that was just the way that he spoke, like how some people seemed to add in a question mark at the end of everything?

Meanwhile, Nakamouri-keibu, feeling particularly victorious, reached forwards to pinch everyone's cheeks.

"Oi, can you weirdos lose the masks?! I can't see which one of you is KID this way!"

"My sincerest apologies, Inspector, but we are the Mask Club of Teitan High. The masks are mandatory," said Abe-sensei with an incredible amount of authority.

"Besides, it's not as if anyone knows what KID looks like, so the removal with be useless."

Nakamouri-keibu sighed in defeat. "Fine! Moving on, men!"

Was the KID Force really okay with someone like that as their leader...?

They moved on to investigate (bother) someone else and the Mask Club entered the mansion.

It was dim and shadowy inside, with the musty scent of dying flowers. And for a soccer-playing detective, it was as if he was six all over again.

* * *

_Muted shadows draped the house, as relatives whispered among themselves. Did you hear what happened? The nanny was in on it, did you know? Who was to get what? Where would their young son go? Vice overtook any sorrow for the dead._

_Just like that, they would argue, faking tears and grief._

It was a perfectly normal thing, why bother paying them any attention?

But now, it was happening again, albeit at a different setting. The musk of flowers wafted through the home, along with that of dust and lemony-fresh soap. The deceased's family was gossiping freely, greedy for scandal and wealth.

Shinichi took deep breaths, gingerly fingering a fresh wound on his arm and the countless scars he already had. Calm down, there's nothing here to threaten you. Calm down, it's safe. It's not your fate they're deciding, not your parents' funeral they're planning.

"You!" exclaimed a wiry man in mourning garb and scratched glasses. What was with the excessive yelling today?

"You're the pianist aren't you?! Why are you late?! Ah, never mind! Just come into this room here to rehearse!"

He glared at the rest of the group and dragged Abe-sensei into another room. A requiem soon filled the air.

A veiled woman came next. "Are you Midori-chan's group? I'm Sakamoto Aki, the deceased's niece, animal trainer, and the person who needs your help."

"What for?" asked Toyama-kun. Shinichi was also quite curious about this.

Sakamoto-san gave him a thin, tired, smile. "Last week, a notice arrived to me and the other relatives at this funeral. It was from Kaitou KID, saying that he'll steal the 'gem of shining moonlight' that my uncle always bragged about owning. We have never been able to find it, so I would like you to help us find it before KID does and keep him from stealing it. Unfortunately, I had to say that Midori-chan was the pianist I hired, as a smokescreen. Who knows what my relatives might do if they found out that I commissioned help?"

"Any clues?" questioned Shinichi, completely focused on the mystery.

"Yes. A strange poem carved into the staircase and KID's notice. Before that, though, please have some dinner. Better to attempt this with a full stomach rather than an empty one. Allow me to take you on a tour of the house too, it's very easy to get lost."

At that very moment, R's stomach grumbled, her face a light pink in embarrassment.

"It's time to feed the beast," remarked Shinichi, inadvertently invoking her temper. R lifted a leg and aimed a kick, barely missing Shinichi and splitting a table in two.

Toyama-kun and Sakura-san, who hadn't seen this before, started while unshakeable Sherry didn't bat an eye.

Sakamoto-san grew very pale, leading them to the traditional dining room in silence. Shinichi noticed her hand fly to a wall ornament before she opened the door. How singular.

"Come and dig in!" she exclaimed. R, Sakura-san and Toyama-kun proceeded to follow her advice with a polite "itadakimasu". Shinichi looked around the room, noting the intricately carved walls, before unceremoniously pushing R aside, stealing her spot (and earning him a glare from said girl). Sherry sat down besides him, as the room soon filled with people, including Sakamoto-san, her twin sisters, the deceased's younger brother, the deceased's widowed aunt, here son and his wife.

Everyone ate in relative silence, R, Sakura and Sherry engaged obliviously in a conversation about school-work, but the atmosphere was tense, all the rivaling relatives waiting for the news about the will and for their moment in the spotlight where they would put up and act of grief for the dead man nobody really knew. Barely repressing the childhood memories, Shinichi almost forgot his purpose until just out of the corner of his eye, he saw a strange movement.

Quickly, he pushed R aside, ignoring her squawk of protest as an arrow struck her former spot...!

"That's it!" cried out one of the Sakamoto twins. "This is the last straw! Ever since we've arrived, it's been attack after endless attack! I don't know about you people, but I can't stand another day like this. Come on Miyuki, we're leaving tomorrow morning! Aki-nee, I know that you really want to do this, but the two of us can't stay any longer. Please just mail us the funeral date."

"Yukiko, please don't say that," begged their older sister, to no avail. In the end, it was decided that they would return to Sapporo from the nearest airport on the 640 morning flight.

"Good riddance too," muttered the deceased's aunt, Oda Sayomi-san, in her mourning garb of a crow-black dress and thickly veiled hat. "Young people these days are so flighty. If there's someone going around trying to murder us all, you must make a stand for yourself. Anyway, it's obviously one of us."

"Oba-san! Don't be so suspicious," Sakamoto Aki scolded, quite unhappy at this point.

After that, the meal was eaten in absolute silence, a strange pressure not to speak falling upon the room.

Sakamoto-san, trying to comfort the guests, attempted a warm smile, "Well then, shall we go on a tour of the house?"

"Good riddance," scowled Oda-san, before heading back to her room. "I'll tell you, this treasure will bring nothing but misery!"

Her son softly shushed her, and with a small apologetic glace towards the others, led her back to her room. His wife sighed.

"Sorry about that, she's still a bit upset about everything. Why don't I lead the guide with Aki? I'm Oda Kimiko, by the way."

"That sounds great," declared the wiry man from earlier, an annoyed Abe-sensei besides him. "I can't take you all because I still have to discuss the music with Abe-san here, but between her and Aki-chan, there's enough knowledge to write a textbook about this old house."

"So who's going to come with us?" asked Sakamoto-san.

* * *

In the end, it was decided that the Mask Club, Oda Kimiko-san and her husband, the Sakamoto twins and the deceased's brother were to go.

Sakamoto-san and Oda-san made great guides, as they talked about the house with enthusiasm. Shinichi noticed once or twice when they pressed down upon various wall ornaments. It was getting to be quite suspicious at this point. But the trip was relatively safe. Or at least it was before they reached the carved stairs.

They were stone steps leading out to a garden outside. Shinichi could almost see the old road coming through, horses stomping down the dirt. Inscribed on the stairs was a riddle.

"Fear me greatly, for I am wild/ And death lies in my charades/ And the curse of the blood gem is never mild/ Dare you search, the specter waits until midnight fades/ Before the sirens claim their prize," R read aloud, eyes wide. Behind her, Sakura-san was terrified.

Shinichi saw Oda-san reach for a small carved flower, but before she could touch it, her high heel broke, causing her to trip. Shinichi felt a distinct push and he found himself, along with everyone else, going down like dominoes, tumbling down the slippery stairs and into a deep hole that extended far into the earth.

And it all went dark, as he felt someone grip his hand.


End file.
